Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-30
JUDGE FERRIS.
Why the Ex-Supreme Judge Opposes the
Prohibition Amendment.

Prohibition Amendment.
WA1AHACHIE, TEX, April &c, 1887.
Messrs. Barnett Gibbs, R. Il. Harrison and
others:
GENTLEMEN-Your favor of the 4th
inst, inviting me to be present at a con-
vention of the nti-Prohibitionists ito
assemble IN Dallas on the 4th of May
next, and asking for some expression Of
my views on the pending question, is
received.
l have given some attention to the
question. and do not hesitate to express
my decided disapproval OF the proposed
prohibition amendment. 1t appears to
me to be wrong in principle and clearly
unwise as measure of state policy. ~
Intemperance is indeed a great evil; but,
as said by Senator Bsyard, "The greater
the evil the greater the necessity 10 ap
ply the right remedy" No man is-mOTe
opposed to lntemperance than myself; but
l say punish the drinker VINO Is guilty of
intemperanCe, not the one who is not. II
the saloon business is nuisance (and |
admit that it is) regulate it, or abolish it
entirely, if need be; but do not disturb
the business of others not engaged in the
saloon traffic. If it is said that temp
tatiOns to evil ought to be removed, l
answer that every man must depend upon
the energy OF his own will to resist evil
not upon the government. The man who
has lost the Will power to govern himself
mas lost his manhood, and should have q
guardian. The prohibition amendment
proposes, IN effect, to take away from
every citizen in Texas the right to buy
and use, as his judgment may dictate, ar
ticles of trade which the amendment itself
admits to be useful and necessary, and q
doctor is to be interp0sed, who, under
pains and penalties, is required to person
ally examine the citizen wishing to buy
and is to permit the sale only in case Of
actual sickness. It seems to me that all
unprejudiced persons must regard such q
law as an outrage upon the rights of the
citizens, which can be justified only on
the assumption that the people of Texas
have become so demoraliZed in their per
sOnal habits that they are wholly inCaps-
bic of self-cOntrOl and require guardian,
which l, for one, cannet admit.
Temperance IS moral question, but
prohibition is a political question and
means aggressive political action. 1t
proposes to inforce by law upon all per-
sons, both in the state and the nation,
the extreme total abstinence views CT the
old temperance society. They once said,
"We will persuade men, they now say,
eve will force men" As a political
party it was born at Cleveland, Ohio, in
1873, when it declared that 'tthe time had
arrived to introduce the temperance issue
into state and national politics" Secret
societies have been organized and put in
good working order all over the country.
For the last two presidential elections
the party has had it's own plat
form and has supported its own
candidates. If the Prohibition party
now being organized all over Texas, is
not part of the national party it must be
a near relative. 1t appears that each
member of the new clubs now beng
formed is required to sign pledge to
vote and work for prohibition. Is this to
overcome t'the sober second thought"
A subscription club is also gotten up at
the same time for the Voice, the organ of
the National Prohibition party. The
teachings of the Voice may be understood
from what it said of the Georgia contest,
in the words following;
"It will be fOundimpOssiblet to prevent in
anything like satisfactory degree, the i'm
pOrtatlOn Of liquor from adjoining states.
This is a fundamental defect in the local
option plan and in the state plan. 1t
compels the laying siege to the saloons,
the spying of neighbor upon neighbor.
National prohibition has but two things
to do: to stop the manufacture of liquor,
and to stop its Importation; and both of
these things are easily feasible"
Shall the prohibition party have the
field all to itself in Texas and take judg-
ment by default? S all such an impor-
tant political question be permitted to go
before the people and to q final vote,
without organized opposition and thor
ough discussion? These questions are
to be answered by the convention called
to meet at Dallas on the 4th of May next.
1 sincerely hope that proper defense
viii be ineugurated and thorough can.
vass had, so that the people may be able
to decide the question intelli-
gently, and in manner which shall af-
forwards prove satisfactory to them
selves. Engagements heretofore made
will require my absence from the state
during the canvass, but l shall endeavor
to be in attendance at the convention.
j. W. FERRIS.